Worth the Wait
by Kaitou304
Summary: Sakura, Syaoran, Tomoyo, Rika, Chiharu, Yamazaki, and Naoko have finally graduated. What will the future bring for the romance that has been held in secret since elementary school? Will the couple still have a place in their hearts for each other after all this time?
1. Chapter 1

The sun and breeze danced through the dark green leaves that warm summer day.

Seijyu High School's graduation ceremony had just reached its end and the future of Tomoeda was emptying into the courtyard with excited chatter. What would they do now? Where would they go? Would they ever see each other again?

Syaoran Li and Sakura Kinomoto posed happily, albeit a little awkwardly as Tomoyo snapped pictures of them in their graduation attire under a tree near the front gates.

"Tomoyo, don't you think you have enough?" asked Kero from inside her long locks of dark hair.

"Just a few more…" she said, trying to make every angle count."Now that school is over and Sakura is going to Hong Kong to visit Li-kun's family, I have to make sure I have enough fresh scrapbook material to keep me busy. They'll thank me for putting this all together someday," she said confidently.

Sakura looked over to where the rest of their friends were talking. "Hey you guys, come here! Let's take a group shot!" she called, waving to them.

The conversation between Chiharu, Yamazaki, Rika, and Naoko paused as they all looked up. Chiharu pointed to where Sakura was beckoning, and they all made their way over.

Tomoyo desperately tried to take a few last pictures of her favorite couple before the rest of the group arrived. Syaoran was giving Sakura an exceptionally affectionate look as she called all of their friends over, and Tomoyo most certainly did not want to miss capturing it on camera.

"Okay, just let me get my tripod," she said as the others arrived. "I want to be in the shot too... Oh! Wait!"

She just noticed Terada leave a group of students he had been talking with. "Terada-sensei!" she called. "Would you mind helping me? We're trying to take a group photo, and…"

Rika's heart suddenly jolted. After all these years, she still had the same reaction to Terada's presence, especially when she was with the rest of her friends.

She watched as Terada came over and Tomoyo showed him how to work the different controls on her camera. She tried to shake the blood out of her cheeks as she did not want to be bright red for the picture.

"Rika-chan, are you okay? You're not getting a cold are you?" Chiharu asked, noticing the feverish look on her friend's face.

"No, I'm alright. Just tired. It's was a long ceremony," Rika replied. It was half-true. They had a large graduating class, and sitting through all those names on a warm afternoon had left her a bit sleepy.

"Just press the button in slightly at first so it focuses and adjusts its settings to the light, and then press it in the rest of the way to take the picture, okay?" Tomoyo hurried to join the rest of her friends.

"I think I've got it Daidouji-san. Your cameras always do a wonderful job. I don't think I could mess it up if I tried!"

Tomoyo positioned herself next to Rika as they all squeezed in for the picture.

"You know, people used to fear having their pictures taken because they thought – "

"Not NOW, Yamazaki!" Chiharu snapped at the same time as the camera. The rest of the group must have been wearing some great smiles, but Terada decided to give it one more go for a nicer picture.

"Alright…and…" The camera flashed. "Done!" Terada said.

"Thank you so much, Terada-sensei!" Tomoyo said jubilantly, taking her camera back.

"I hope they turned out alright!" he said as he joined his former students to look at the camera's screen as they reviewed the shots.

While everyone was busy talking animatedly about how funny the first picture turned out (everyone in the picture was laughing except for Chiharu who was fake-strangling Yamazaki), Tomoyo inched a little closer to Rika.

"He does take nice pictures, doesn't he?" Tomoyo said, grinning at Rika's renewed flushed expression.

"Yes." Rika said, trying to hide her face under her curls of hair by looking down.

Terada noticed Rika out of the corner of his eye; noticed the way she was trying hide her face, and noticed how Tomoyo was giving her such a kind smile. She was always so perceptive, as he had noted countless times before.

Tomoyo felt him looking at Rika and her and glanced in his direction. His cheeks took on a pink hue of their own as he averted his eyes and walked over to a group of other teachers to join their conversation. She smiled quietly to herself.

"These pictures are really cute, aren't they Tomoyo-chan?" Sakura said, beaming.

"Yes! They're splendid!"

"Thanks for showing them to us, Daidouji-san. I hope you'll remember to send us copies," said Syaoran as he gave her camera back.

"I certainly will!"

"Well, Syaoran-kun and I made plans to get lunch. We need to settle a few last-minute details before flying to Hong Kong next week. We'll keep in touch!" said Sakura.

"Please do," said Rika. Her face felt like it had gone back to its normal color, so she beamed up at them to say goodbye as they made their way out of the school gate and off to their future, which in Rika's mind, would most certainly be a happy one.

"Yamazaki and I should probably be going as well," said Chiharu.

"Me too," said Naoko. "I have a piano lesson to teach."

"Oh, you're teaching piano?" said Chiharu, surprised. "I always thought you would get into writing."

"That's what I want to do, yes. Teaching piano is helping me make some money for college though. I have a long way to go before I will be able to afford it."

"Good luck!" said Tomoyo.

"Yes, good luck!" said Chiharu and Rika together.

"Thank you very much! Chiharu, do you want to walk together? At least for part of the way?"

"Sure. Bye you two!" She and Naoko walked through the gate that was held open for them by Yamazaki.

"Tomoyo was cute in that picture, wasn't she? I liked the stuffed animal that she had in her hair," Chiharu said as they got further and further away. "I didn't notice that before."

"Me neither. Maybe it's a childhood good luck charm," said Naoko.

"Speaking of good luck charms – "

"Yes, yes, go ahead. Get it out of your system," Chiharu said to an eager looking Yamazaki as they fell out of earshot.

Tomoyo and Rika smiled as they waved goodbye to three more of their friends. Tomoyo put her arm down and glanced toward Rika. She had taken her hand down and stopped it near her shoulder, wearing a somewhat glazed, faraway expression.

"No one noticed, did they?" Tomoyo asked. "Are you disappointed?"

"Noticed what?" Rika said.

"Your ring."

Rika started. It was true she was hoping her friends might notice, but at the same time, she didn't anticipate what she would say if they did.

_At the end of the ceremony, their principal had the students stand so he could officially declare them all to be graduates._

_At that moment, as the audience of family and friends applauded politely, Rika quietly put her hand into her pocket and retrieved a small, decorated box. It was the same box Terada had taken out of his pocket in the library after she recovered from her memory lapse at Sakura's house._

_Opening it carefully and blushing slightly at his own boldness, he told her about his story to the clerk that it was an engagement ring, and that she was to take care of it until it became a wedding ring. Although she was so young, she understood how important this token was and what it meant for both of them._

_Now that she was no longer a student, she did not need to worry about people knowing about her engagement. She took the delicate ring out of the box and placed it on her ring finger, right where it always belonged._

"Mmm." Rika nodded.

"Well, may I be honored as the first of your friends to say congratulations!"

"Thank you! Although, knowing you, you've known for some time. Thank you for not saying anything," Rika said bashfully.

Tomoyo didn't deny it. She simply smiled.

When she looked back at Rika, her friend's face wore same distant expression as before. Tomoyo stepped in front of her and took her hands in hers. She looked Rika in the eyes with sympathy, kindness, and warmth.

"If there's anything that you need help with, Rika-chan," she said sincerely, "please don't hesitate to ask." She would never push, but it always difficult for Tomoyo when she wanted to help, but knew she couldn't until asked.

Rika was a little bit surprised. She knew that Tomoyo was kind. She had seen that countless times in the way she would help Sakura, or in how she helped Syaoran when he had been struggling with his feelings for her, but Rika never really thought that that same kindness would ever be extended to her.

She tried to smile in an attempt to put Tomoyo at ease.

"See you later?" Tomoyo asked letting go and stepping back.

"You bet!"

Just then, Tomoyo's car pulled up and a window rolled to down to reveal one of the bodyguards inside.

"After all this time, Mother still worries." Tomoyo said fondly. "Looks like I have to go. Will you be alright by yourself?"

"I'll be fine. Thanks for everything, Tomoyo."

Rika waved as the car rounded the corner and went out of sight.


	2. Chapter 2

Rika looked up at the sky, asking Kami-sama for help to leave the school gates. The sun was lower in the sky now, casting a soft golden haze on all that its light was touching.

These gates held so many memories for her, and she wanted to hold onto every single one of them. Sakura's smile, Syaoran's implacable warmth, Tomoyo's kind, observant eyes, Yamazaki's lies, Chiharu's attempts to control him, the many library books that Naoko read...

Rika absent-mindedly spun the ring around her finger.

The library. That was where she had made the promise. That was where she had given Terada-sensei her handmade teddy bear. The one that she had spent so many nights carefully measuring, cutting, stitching, and finally stuffing – stuffing with something that would far outlast mere cotton.

She started walking toward the elementary school building. Things would be different now that the lines had vanished, but would they be harder or easier? They were used to having to carefully plan their rendezvous. Would it be easier to be a public couple? Awkward?

She opened the doors of Tomoeda Elementary once more and stepped inside. Things definitely looked smaller. Was she really little enough to use those drinking fountains once?

She passed the doors to the auditorium, the place where Terada-sensei had first told her she looked nice. Just before she had to go on stage for _Sleeping Beauty_, while everyone was marveling at Sakura's prince costume, while she was standing all alone, he quietly spoke those words and made her feel so incredibly special. It startled her, and she could hardly sleep that night because of the wonderful feeling he gave her.

Now she was passing the windows to the track and field. _Gym_ _class_, she thought to herself. _Now there was a laugh_. Rika was not that athletic, though she certainly tried her best. And whenever she fell or something was a little too difficult, she could always count on Terada-sensei to help her up and encourage her to keep trying. Sometimes she would fall on purpose, just to feel his hand holding hers.

Finally, she arrived at room 4-2, and gently slid open the door to her former homeroom.

"Sumimasen," she called out quietly.

No answer.

"Sumimasen," she said a little more pronouncedly.

The lights were off…

…and the room was empty.

She did not know whether to be disappointed or relieved that Terada-sensei was not there. The longer she waited to talk to him, the more difficult it would be, but it was nice to visit the classroom alone. This room held many memories too. Occasional stolen glances, hidden pink cheeks, work-study sessions together…

She made her way down a row of desks, running her fingers over the cool wooden surface of each one until she found her old seat. She sat in the small chair, though she could not quite tuck herself into the desk anymore. She had poured so much effort into her school work at this station, not wanting her teacher to be concerned that their outings might affect her grades.

She folded her arms and laid her head down, pulling different memories to the surface of her mind, and remembering the sweet feelings they gave her. Letting the warm glow inside calm her...

…lull her…

…until…

"Having sweet dreams?"


	3. Chapter 3

Rika picked up her head with a start. She was not quite sleeping, but his voice still made her jump.

"Gomen!" He put his hands on her shoulders to steady her. That definitely wasn't the reaction he had expected.

"You startled me," she said, catching her nerves a little, holding her chest, looking at the man crouched down beside her.

"What are you doing here?"

"Well…I…I was looking for you," she admitted. The familiar pink was beginning to fill her face. She rubbed her eyes. "And then I saw that the room was empty, so I decided to…" She stopped.

He took his hands off her shoulders since she was fully awake again. "I was waiting for you outside the gates. I got concerned when you didn't show up. I thought I might have come looking for me here."

"Oh."

Silence.

"I-" they both started.

"Go ahead," Terada-sensei said.

"Mm-mmm," Rika shook her head.

"Well..." His words faltered.

"We..." He tried starting again, but stopped short.

She was waiting. Words were buzzing around his mind, but none of them seemed to want to settle on his tongue. His brain and mouth did not seem to want to work in unison. And since when was a ticking clock so loud?

"Maybe I should start?" Rika offered politely.

"No, I..." He stopped again. This was no good! He knew that they had to have this serious discussion soon, but maybe this was _too_ soon. After all, she just completed high school. This should be a happy occasion.

He put his hands on his face, then ran them through his auburn hair.

He looked back up at Rika for a moment, and saw her hands folded delicately in her lap. He gazed at them for a moment before taking them gently in his own. They were the soft hands of a woman now, not of a young girl. Smooth, delicate fingers that were so graceful when she worked. That was when he noticed the ring.

"When…?" he asked, smiling gently with softened eyes. He turned the gleaming circle slowly from side to side so that it would catch the light.

"After we were declared graduates," she said.

The gem sparkled and twinkled at him, light dancing, casting him into a sort of trance. He could remember picking it out from among its glittering brothers and sisters in the display case. How high his nerves were when he was simply paying for it. He knew that she understood what it meant when he gave it to her, but still, even now, he wanted to be sure that she understood completely. After all, he was not 25 anymore, and she was not 10.

_An engagement ring for a 10-year-old..._

"Yoshi?"

"Hm?" He was still enchanted by the ring, but suddenly he felt his heart skip. _What did she say? _He looked into her eyes, a tinge of pink creeping up to his face.

Her ebony eyes were looking at him kindly and curiously, trying to understand what was running through his mind. They bore a comforting glow that he had never found anywhere else. He could see himself in those eyes, and wondered if she ever thought the same thing when she looked into his. A feeling that he was safe – that no matter what was happening in the rest of the world, no matter what anyone else would think or say, as long as those eyes were watching him, everything would be alright. He lost count of how many times he had looked into them, but now, hearing his name drop from her lips, it was like he was seeing her for the first time. He had waited 10 years to hear that voice say his name.

"Dinner?" he asked. _Baka, finish it! _"Dinner, my place, tomorrow night?" He carefully watched her for a reaction.

"I'd like that," she said, smiling.

_Wow_, _that was easy, _he thought to himself. _And you rehearsed that _how _many times?_

He sighed in relief and smiled back at her. "Shall we go? I'll walk you home."

He stood up, raising her hand, guiding her out of her elementary school desk. She had gotten taller too...

They walked through the sliding door of 4-2 and through the deserted hallways of the school. As he passed the field windows and auditorium, he wondered if she remembered the same things he did.

They both seemed to be wandering down memory lane as they walked past the school gates and down the sidewalk to Rika's house, until finally,

"What time should I come over?" Rika asked, turning to face him. They had reached her doorstep. How had they gotten there so quickly?

"Seven o'clock should be alright," he said.

"Would you like me to bring anything?"

"Just yourself."

A pause. A pause that was a little long for comfort.

There was the door, but she was not going inside.

Even though they were going to see each other the next day, parting was still difficult. He examined the features of her face, trying to find a trace of the child he knew before she had to go inside, but she had completely transformed into a beautiful young lady. She had grown into herself well. The same lovely locks of hair, the same porcelain complexion, the same blush in her cheeks; they all belonged to a woman now. The same sparkle in her eyes.

But they were not looking into his. They were lower on his face...

Yoshi moved his eyes down her face, and found himself looking at the same feature that he was sure she was looking at.

She drew closer to him. He felt her hand catch his, and they intertwined their fingers.

She raised her eyes to linger on his.

...

"I'll…I'll See you tomorrow," she uttered nervously. She backed away an inch, and let go of his hand.

Before he knew it, Yoshi was standing on the doorstep alone, staring at her closed door, wondering where she had vanished to.


	4. Chapter 4

_Click._

The door closed behind Rika.

_What were you doing out there!_ She scolded herself.

_Why did you stop!_ Her other side scolded her.

_I wasn't doing anything wrong. We love each other. We're adults. There's nothing wrong with kissing him._

Her hand went to her chest to try to calm her rapidly beating heart. In all the time they had spent together, even when completely alone, they had never kissed. In their most daring moments, they might have held hands or shared a brief hug, but for some reason, a kiss had always seemed too dangerous.

Rika raised her fingertips to her lips, but stopped short of touching them. She could feel the heat rising off of her face. She walked to her bathroom and lifted the tap on the sink far to the right, trying to get the water as cold as possible before splashing it onto her face. The water was a welcome relief, but when she straightened up to look in the mirror, her face was still red.

"If there's nothing wrong with it, then why did you stop?" she asked her reflection. It mimicked her movements, but made no reply.

Was the tense feeling in her chest from anticipation or from dread? Now that there was nothing holding her back, was she still sure of their relationship? Was the danger of their stolen time together what made it so worthwhile in her mind?

_No. That was not it. I definitely still love him._ She was not trying to convince herself. It was the truth.

She took a soft lavender towel off the rack and blotted the water off her face, folded it neatly again, and replaced it on the rack.

Why did she hesitate? She still could not put her finger on it. She had been dreaming of the moment when they could share that beautiful token of affection – their first kiss. Had the wait really built up that much anticipation? Had the anticipation become so strong that when the moment finally came, she was too nervous to let it happen?

She went to her room and changed out of her formal ceremonial clothes into something more casual.

_Air… I need some air…_

She pulled the cord on her window to open it to let the breeze in, and fell onto her bed. She laid on her side with her hands curled close to her face, feet hanging down, toes grazing the floor. Her thoughts were racing, but her mind was blank. She did not know which thought to consider first.

The cicadas buzzed outside in the heat, becoming quieter and quieter as she fell into a much needed sleep.


	5. Chapter 5

Yoshiyuki stared at the door for a while. He was dumbfounded. She was so close, then all of a sudden, so far away. What just happened?

He strode up to the door to knock, to ask her what was wrong. Something was the matter, and he wanted to know what. He hated knowing she was upset about something and being powerless to help.

He raised his hand up to the door, poised to knock, but stopped.

_No,_ he thought to himself. He lowered his hand and turned away from the door. He looked up to the dusky sky. It was getting late. _Whatever it is, I'm sure she'll tell me when she's ready. I'll see her tomorrow, after all. Maybe she'll tell me then._

He began walking back to his house, dress shoes clicking on the pavement with every step. Left, right, left, right, he watched the patent leather glinting in the streetlamps as he walked.

_She was so close_. _My beautiful Rika…_

It made him sad that she pulled away, but he could not take something from her if she was not ready to give it to him willingly. He wanted to kiss her, to hold her close, to rejoice in that they no longer had to hide their feelings from the world, but before any of that, he had to be sure that those feelings were still there.

He got to his door and fumbled inside his pocket for his keys. He pushed the key into the lock, pausing to rest his forehead against the door for a moment as he tried to let go of the helplessness he was feeling. He let out a sigh, and finally turned the key and pushed in the door. Stepping inside, he turned on the light in the genkan, removing his shoes as he closed the door behind him.

He placed his keys with a clatter into the bowl resting on a short table next to his door. Alongside the bowl was a stuffed bear with a striped ribbon tied around its neck.

Yoshiyuki glanced at it with saddened eyes.

"Hello, Rika." He picked up the bear and looked into its beady-eyed, smiling, furry face, lifting its the paws with his thumbs to animate it. He could still remember how shy she was when she gave it to him in the library.

That library. It had sure seen a lot of their significant moments. A ring, a bear… The real Rika's expression was so delighted when he said that he would name it after her.

He grinned at the memory, replaced the bear on the table, and made his way up to his room, loosening his tie and unbuttoning his suit jacket as he climbed the stairs. Removing them both, and too tired to hang them properly in his closet, he hung them on his bedpost instead. He sat down on his mattress, fell backward, and put his forearms across his forehead, staring at the textured dots on his ceiling.

"Rika…" he whispered, for only his walls to hear.

Worrying would not do either of them any good. He broke out of his troubled thoughts and stood back up, resolved to go downstairs and check on the stock in his kitchen. He was going to have to cook dinner for two tomorrow, and if he was going to make it good, he was going to have to start planning now.

The refrigerator light went one when he opened the door, the motor gently humming.

_Chicken, cream, tomato paste_, he went down the list in his mind. _Tomatoes on the counter, basil_… He walked over to his window to check the herb garden hanging off the ledge._ I have basil_, he affirmed himself. He reached out and plucked one of the small, tender leaves and popped it in his mouth. _Fantastic,_ he thought to himself. The flavor was so fresh.

"Italian it is," he said out loud, hands on his hips as if this were some sort of personal triumph already.

Planning dinner was a short distraction, but still welcome. He brushed his teeth, put on his pajamas, and crawled into bed...but after tossing and turning to try to find a comfortable position, he just could not find one. However tired he felt a few moments ago, sleep was now eluding him.

He read for an hour. No good.

He had a glass of warm milk. Still not sleepy.

Every time he started to drift to sleep, her face came swimming into his vision and he was wide awake again. He turned on the lights and went downstairs to his living room. Maybe it was no use. Maybe he would just find something to work on until he could not keep his eyes open anymore.

When he reached the bottom of the stairs, there it was. The answer to his sleeplessness was looking him in the face – the Rika bear. A childish notion, but it just might work. He picked up the bear, carried it back up to his room, and crawled into the sheets again.

He hugged the bear close, and finally, with the Rika bear's soft, perfumed fur brushing against his face, he fell asleep.


	6. Chapter 6

Rika was curled up in an incredibly comfortable warm ball, wrapped up in her soft sheets. She had felt someone kiss her cheek, and kept her eyes closed, hoping to drift back into the dream that was making her so happy – to stay with the man who she knew had brushed his lips against her face, but alas, that happy feeling betrayed her and she found herself feeling more and more awake. Disappointed, she opened her eyes and what little remained of the world of her dream disintegrated, and was replaced by her bedroom.

She stayed laying warm under the covers trying to hold onto the dream. She loved dreaming of time with Yoshi so much because they could never get in trouble there, and had often pondered whether he was in fact sharing the dream with her, but was never bold enough to ask. She was content just to cherish these dreams along with the real memories they had accumulated over the time they had been together.

She resigned herself to the waking world and rolled the covers off of her. She showered, dressed, and made her way to the kitchen. _Something simple for breakfast_, she thought. She was already anxious for tonight, and did not want to make anything more difficult for her stomach. After skimming the contents of her refrigerator, she settled on a bit of miso and rice. That would be light and satisfying.

While her soup warmed on the stove and the rice cooker started to steam, she heard the paperboy arrive with the day's newspaper. She greeted him in the genkan, paid him his fee, and took the paper inside. Breakfast was ready when she got back. She poured her soup, scooped herself a bowl of the fluffy, steaming rice, and scanned through the day's top stories as she ate. There were notes of congratulations to Seijyu High School's graduating class, a report on the heat wave that was soon to pass through Tomoeda, and a few stories about upcoming festivals that caught her eye.

_Maybe if tonight's dinner goes well, I'll invite Yoshi to go to one with me. I've never seen him at one, but that doesn't mean he doesn't like them. It's worth a try._

She added the newspaper to the stack that was waiting for parents when they returned home. Her father was away on another business trip, and her mother had suddenly been called away to a close school friend who she was told had been hospitalized. Rika understood how these things could make them miss the occasion of high school graduation, and they did call her that morning to congratulate her. She would have loved to have had them there, but she did not feel any less cared about because they were away. Besides, she was not alone for her graduation. There were her friends, and Yoshi who had always been there for her.

She took her dishes to the kitchen and washed them before starting on the rest of the housework. All that day she tried to dispel her nervous energy by keeping busy. She cleaned the kitchen and bathroom, mopped the floors, rolled the lint off the furniture, dusted, and washed the windows. Feeling tired but invigorated by everything she had accomplished, she decided that it would probably be best to wash up once more before meeting Yoshi. This was her first time going to his house, and she definitely did not want to smell like a mix of sweat and cleaning supplies.

After making sure she had put everything away, Rika went to the sparkling bathroom and turned on the hot water for the bath. Once the tub was full of steaming water, she took off her dirty cleaning clothes, dropped them in the hamper, and squeezed a bit of lavender soap onto the washcloth. As she sunk into the water, the aroma and heat of the bath helped remove the tension that her nerves and the day's work had built up in her body. She was definitely feeling better about tonight – a long way from calm, but a long way from anxious.

She poured some of the water over the top of her head and moaned in comfort. It was one of the best feelings life could offer. Any tension that was still in her body diffused as the heat touched her scalp. She picked up the shampoo bottle on the side of the tub and poured some of it into her palm. Her fingers worked the rich lather through the ends of her hair, enjoying every luxurious moment of being able to take the first and only bath of the day in that house.

After rinsing out her hair, she closed her eyes, enjoying the water and the scent of the steam billowing around her. The house was peaceful and clean. She would have felt like she was in an expensive ryokan if she had not done all the work herself. The thought made her grin to herself in satisfaction.

"Okay, time to get out, or you'll turn into a great big prune," she chided herself.

She stood up from the water and patted herself dry with a towel. After blow-drying her hair, she went back to her room and changed into the outfit she had chosen for the evening – a cream colored shirt made of a soft material with a modest feminine collar, and a long brown skirt patterned with dark pink flowers that grew in vines all over the material. She brushed through her hair, replaced Yoshi's ring on her finger, and went to review her work in the tall mirror in her corner of her bedroom.

Her hair fell perfectly around her face, and her clothes suited her, but somehow, it did not look quite right.

"No matter how perfect you look, you're still going to think you look strange," she told her reflection. She smiled. "There you go. That's what was missing!"

She took up her handbag, turned off the house lights, and made her way down the street through the summer air.


	7. Chapter 7

Yoshi's hands worked deftly as he chopped basil and garlic to add to the pan of simmering tomato sauce on the stove. Two salads were already ready and waiting in the refrigerator, along with a carafe of vinaigrette he had prepared. He added a couple spoonfuls of cream to the sauce, along with some tomato paste and the herbs he had just cut. Blending it evenly with a wooden spoon, he scooped a bit of it onto his finger and sampled his cooking. Rolling the flavors around in his mouth for a moment, he added a bit more cream to smooth out the brightness of the tomato, and finally added the chicken breast he had browned earlier. As he covered it with a lid, he checked the clock on the stove console.

_She should be arriving any minute._

He paused his cooking project to take one more pass around his house. Everything was tidy. He had thought of lighting some candles, that might have been a little over the top. He wanted to make this comfortable for her, so he kept it simple.

As if right on cue, there was a knock at the door. Yoshi walked to the genkan, took a moment to quickly check himself in the mirror, which was fortunate because there was a bit of tomato sauce in the corner of his mouth.

Just remember, you're both here to enjoy yourselves. No pressure, he coached himself.

He took a deep breath and opened the door.

"Konban-"

He paused.

Was this the same Rika Sasaki he had as his student eight years ago? She looked wonderful. The way her hair fell softly around her face, the way her cream blouse and floral skirt seemed to be made for her – everything about the woman before him emphasized the graceful figure that she had grown into. Add to that the glimmer of the ring on her left hand and he saw with renewed clarity just how fortunate of a man he was. Rika was here…just for him.

"Konbanwa, Rika-chan."

"Konbanwa, Yoshi-kun."

They stood looking at each other for a moment.

"May I come in?"

"Oh, hai, douzo!" Yoshi held open the door for her to enter.

She slipped off her shoes in the genkan and was surprised to find a set of guest slippers, powder blue with tulips, waiting for her. They looked new.

"I wanted to make sure you felt welcome on your first visit. I hope they're comfortable."

"Thank you very much. That's very thoughtful of you," she said slipping them on and glancing around her surroundings. "You have a lovely house."

The sun was low in the sky and granted a gentle light through his off-white curtains. To her right was the living room. An earthy-toned couch and armchair were curved in front of the television, with a coffee table resting on a braided rug in between, a couple of sandstone coasters and a candle garden on its surface. A small bookshelf of DVDs rested beside the television. Hanging on the wall behind the couch was a network of winding iron vines, the end of each holding a candle votive.

On the left was what appeared to be his study. Bookshelves lined the wall opposite the front window, and a dark wooden desk with a rolling lid was up against the far wall. A modest-sized wooden table with a light descending over it was in the center of the room. Rika supposed that this was where he worked when he needed to spread out.

Straight down the hall in front of her, the light was on, and she gathered that that was where the wonderful aroma had to be coming from.

"Would you like the tour?" Yoshi asked.

"Mochiron!" Rika nodded.

_Sugoi. This place suits him so well. It's so cozy..._

He showed her through is study, letting her peruse his educational tomes and collection of pleasure reading. She paused at his desk to look at a picture of what she gathered to be his family. He looked to be about ten in the photograph, but she knew it had to be him based on his thick head of reddish-brown hair.

"Your parents?"

"Mm," Yoshi nodded.

"You resemble your father a lot now that I've seen him. I see a bit of your mom in you too. Your eyes are the same color." She gazed at the photograph a while longer. "She was beautiful."

"You see it too? It always makes me happy to see her whenever I look in a mirror."

Rika nodded. They had talked about his parents before, but this was the first time she had seen a photograph of them. His father was still alive, but his mother passed away while he was still young.

She replaced the brass frame carefully on his desk. They went to the living room next. Rika liked this room especially. The earthy tones lent it well to be a place of relaxation, and his furniture looked so comfortable. She had not noticed it before, but there was a small bouquet of marguerites in the vase on the end table between the couch and armchair.

Rika was just about to smell the flowers when they were interrupted by a sizzle from the kitchen.

"Sumimasen, I need to turn the heat down on the stove a little."

He went quickly to the kitchen, Rika following behind.

"Can I help with anything?" she asked, watching him work at the stove.

"Arigatou, demo everything is just about done." He replaced the lid on the pan and went to the refrigerator, withdrawing the two salads he prepared earlier and the carafe of dressing. He set them on the small dining table, which was set with two deep purple placemats, silverware, dinner plates, and two glasses that had been filled with ice.

"What would you like to drink?" He asked returning to the kitchen and opening the refrigerator door. "I have iced tea, water with lemon, orange juice…"

"Water with lemon would be fine. Thanks."

He brought a small glass pitcher to the table, but before filling their glasses, he set the pitcher down. Stepping behind one of the chairs and withdrawing it, he gestured Rika to take a seat.

Blushing, Rika took her chair offered to her. There were so many things she had never considered looking forward to. When in public, they took careful measures to keep things as platonic as possible. She did everything for herself, but now, Yoshi was doing everything he could to be a perfect gentleman towards her. She never realized how much he had been holding back. He was not doing anything grandiose, but these simple gestures added so much to her appreciation of him.

While he poured water for them both, Rika took a moment to take in the man in front of her. He was a good host, appeared to be a talented cook, and he was so handsome in those blue jeans and black button up shirt. He was handsome in the business attire he wore for teaching, but the more casual look definitely suited him.

She took the napkin from beside her plate and placed it delicately on her lap as Yoshi took his own seat.


End file.
